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Yesterday I was able to observe a herd of elk for about 30 minutes. I had never done that before, so it was fascinating. They were in a very large meadow surrounded by aspens and spruce trees. I was watching them from a mile and a half away with a spotting scope.

The first thing that surprised me is how often they'd start trotting for no apparent reason. The herd was predominantly cows, many with calves. As it started getting darker, they all ran toward a bowl in the middle of the meadow. Two would randomly square off, rear up on their hind legs and "box" with their front hooves. This played out with a lot of different cows over about a 5 minute period. There were three bulls lower in the meadow. One was a spike the other was decent and one had a massive rack. The big one chilled and ate most of the time, although he did butt the medium bull once and a few cows that walked by too. Every now and he'd bluff charge another elk that would get close.

Is this kinda normal of herd behavior for this time of year?

Pretty normal. Bulls don't pay attention to cows for another month +. Cows are always establishing pecking orders. as they appear to be boxing. Some are just feeling good and playing

One of them is the lead cow. She got the job by being the meanest, raunchiest old bitch in the herd. They have a pecking order and cows spar all the time as they try to move up in the order. They're also very alert. If one sees or smells something suspicious, she'll trigger the rest to come to full alert and to be ready to move out. OTOH, sometimes it seems like they think there's safety in numbers. A couple times I've stumbled right into a large herd and had them just stand and look at me from less than 50 yds. One time I ran into a herd in black timber. I had several just stand and look at me from 10 yds. That time I had a bull tag and there wasn't a bull to be found.

I am sure this is kinda meh for those of you living in elk country, but I thought is was incredibly fascinating.

There's something else I've seen many times and have shot several elk as a result. Watch for a herd moving out of the timber into the open right before dark. If you see that, be there before light the next morning because more often than not they'll still be there.

I could watch elk all day, not fire a shot at em and be quite content!

I have never hunted elk but I have talked to them walked with the took their portraits and during the rut enraged them. I dream of the day when I draw a tag and finally get to hunt them. Until that day I will continue to talk, walk and take their pictures every fall and spring. I have called a 7x7 to within 5 yards while I was hiding behind a multiflora rose bush shaking like a leaf. I never felt so alive as I did at that moment. My wife told me I scared the crap out of her. I said you? I could literally see blood in his eye. I get excited every time I think of that encounter.

And when the move out in the AM, once they clear the timber, who ever had the cow tag puts a CNS hit on the lead cow. This puts the whole herd in a state of confusion causing them to mill a bit providing a good opportunity for your party to fill some more tags. They won't just stand there, they will be moving, but they will present a good opportunity for the hunters who are comfortable taking moving game.

If they feel secure, they can be almost friendly. 6 or 8 years ago, we spotted a herd of maybe 70 or 80, mostly cows with a few bulls, in a wide draw about 2000' above us, about 2 miles on foot going straight at them. It was mid afternoon. I was the only one in our group crazy enough to go up there and it took me a couple hours. I was in plain sight of them the whole time but I wore subdued clothes, moved slowly, and tried to keep sideways movement to a minimum. I guess that they felt secure way up there and I don't know if they saw me and ignored me or just didn't look very hard. I got in to about 300 yds before I decided that I'd better not push my luck any farther and shot my cow. It was so steep that I climbed on all 4's to get up to her and I needed to roll her down about 1/4 mile to find a place to keep my footing to dress her out. As I was rolling her down the mountain, 8 or 10 cows stood on a knob about 150 yds away barking at me for 5 or 10 min. They knew I wasn't supposed to be there but they didn't seem particularly spooked. Maybe they thought my cow had approved of me even though she had 4 feet in the air.

I've only watched whole herds for lengthy times at the Estes Park golf course. Its very calming and relaxing.

The rest of the time I see them, they're in small groups, and only briefly in view.

Last season I shot the lead cow as the bunch entered a small meadow. First in line was a spike, then a big calf,, then the lead cow. More, then the herd bull bringing up the rear.

Talk about milling around! A big 6x5 stood there, looking at me less than 150 yards away as I walked over to the downed cow. And me with only a cow tag in my pocket.

Eventually the bull got everyone organized, and they all swung a big arc around me at ~200 yards away and loped over the hill.

I've been fortunate enough to have been born and raised in good elk country, now semi retired and living back on the family ranch. We have a decent sized herd of elk moving though my property almost daily. I've got a few videos of elk taken just a few days ago with the calves playing tag and some nice pics but not savvy enough to post without reducing them beyond recognition. If someone can post a video I can sent it to them.

Shooting the lead cow ends up removing that learned behavior of where and when to go and typically is a little older which leads to tougher meat. Better for the herd to let the old gal go She didn't get there being meek and stupid.

I saw a herd over a hundred strong this evening. I was awed. I wished for better glass. I saw some playing, but none of the antics of a few evenings ago.

It's a bad pic, but it was the best my pocket super zoom could do in poor light at a mile and a half. This was one of 3 clusters of similar size, and many more were scattered about the side of the mountain.

Heres a couple just outside my house, they really liked my water trough during this drought.

Elk are very tolerant until they smell you.

That's true. If I have a choice, I'll avoid the lead cow, assuming I can figure out which one she is. My last 2, though, didn't give me a choice. Last year it was a single cow with a bull and the year before that, I was moving in on a large herd when a lone cow walked into sight at about 75 yds. I didn't spend any time debating on whether either one was the leader.

That's really cool.

We used to never shoot cows, but a few guys in our group started picking off cows every year. We must have whacked some lead cows since we seldom have large groups of cow elk coming on our spot with regularity like before. Perhaps the old ways were lost to the meat pole?